Search Results (10)

AC battery systems (ACBSs) based on multilevel converters (MLCs) have gained considerable attention in recent times for the provision of grid services due to high-power (HP) and high-energy (HE) capabilities. In a hybrid ACBS, multiple low-voltage ports provide DC interfaces for battery modules from the same or different chemistries, enabling flexible operation across a wide range of grid services. However, the design complexity increases substantially, due to (i) higher electrothermal coupling between heterogeneous battery modules and power electronic (PE) switches, (ii) grid compliance constraints and (iii) power quality requirements, which often leads to conservative oversizing and, consequently, increased total cost of ownership (TCO). To address these challenges, this paper proposes a co-design optimization framework for the sizing and selection of battery modules, PE components, and MLC architecture. A multi-fidelity modeling approach is presented to co-simulate the battery modules and MLC. The model captures electrochemical behavior, degradation dynamics, and power losses to enable accurate estimation of system-level energy efficiency. The framework then leverages a multi-objective nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) to perform optimal cell-to-module sizing across different chemistries and MLC levels, while incorporating the inter-module balancing and AC power quality constraints. Comparative simulation studies show that the proposed co-design framework achieves life-cycle TCO reduction of 3.5%, 4.5% and 20% relative to non-hybrid (single chemistry) configurations based on LFP, NMC and LTO chemistries, respectively. The test results validate the effectiveness of the proposed co-design methodology for the optimal design of grid-tied AC battery systems. Full article

A multi-port conversion system that connects photovoltaic (PV) arrays, battery energy storage (BES), and an electric vehicle (EV) to a single-phase grid offers a flexible solution for smart homes. By integrating Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technologies, the system supports bidirectional energy flow, optimizing usage, improving grid stability, and supplying backup power. The proposed four-port converter consists of an interleaved bidirectional DC-DC converter for high-voltage BES, a bidirectional buck–boost DC-DC converter for EV charging and discharging, a DC-DC boost converter with MPPT for PV, and a grid-tied inverter. Its non-isolated structure ensures high efficiency, compact design, and fewer switches, making it suitable for residential applications. A state-of-charge (SoC)-based power management strategy coordinates operation among PV, BES, and EV in both on-grid and off-grid modes. It reduces reliance on EV energy when supporting V2G and V2H, while SoC balancing between BES and EV extends lifetime and lowers current stress. A 7.5 kVA system was simulated in MATLAB/Simulink to validate feasibility. Two scenarios were studied: PV, BES, and EV with V2G supporting the grid and PV, BES, and EV with V2H providing backup power in off-grid mode. Tests under PV fluctuations and load variations confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed design. The system exhibited a fast transient response of 0.05 s during grid-support operation and maintained stable voltage and frequency in off-grid mode despite PV and load fluctuations. Its protection scheme disconnected overloads within 0.01 s, while harmonic distortions in both cases remained modest and complied with EN50610 standards. Full article

The selection of the optimal 35 kV network structure is crucial for modern distribution networks. To address the problem of balancing investment costs and reliability benefits, as well as to establish the target network structure, firstly, the investment cost of the distribution network is calculated based on the determined number of network structure units. Secondly, reliability benefits are measured by combining the comprehensive function of user outage losses with the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI). Then, a multi-objective planning model of the network structure is established, and the weighted coefficient transformation method is used to convert reliability benefits and investment costs into the total cost of power supply per unit load. Finally, by using the influencing factors of the network structure as the initial population and setting the minimum total cost of the unit load as the fitness function, the DE algorithm is employed to obtain the optimal grid structure under continuous load density intervals. Case studies demonstrate that different load densities correspond to different optimal network structures. For load densities ranging from 0 to 30, the selected optimal network structures from low to high are as follows: overhead single radial, overhead three-section with two ties, cable single ring network, and cable dual ring network. Full article

The integration of a large number of voltage source converters (VSCs) into the power grid decreases the small-signal stability of the power system. When several VSCs with different control parameters are simultaneously connected to the power grid to form a multi-converter grid-tied system, the potential destabilizing factors increase. Thus, parameter optimization for stability-weakest parameters that have the greatest impact on the system stability becomes more significant in addressing small-signal stability issues. This paper first proposes a stability evaluation function based on the Gerschgorin disc theorem, which can assess the stability of the multi-converter grid-tied system. Then a parameter sensitivity method is proposed to identify the stability-weakest parameters. Finally, an iterative calculation-based parameter optimization method is developed to regulate the identified stability-weakest parameters. Hence, the parameter optimization technique in this research can improve the system stability without requiring eigenvalue solutions and has the merit of low computational complexity. Simulation results based on both the MATLAB/Simulink (2023a) and the RT-LAB (OPAL-RT 5700) platform of a multi-converter grid-tied system validate the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the parameter optimization method. Full article

Modern electrical systems are required to provide increasing standards of power quality, so converters in microgrids need to cooperate to accomplish the requirements efficiently in terms of costs and energy. Currently, power quality compensators (PQCs) are deployed individually, with no capacity to support distant nodes. Motivated by this, this paper proposes a consensus-based scheme, augmented by the conservative power theory (CPT), for controlling clusters of PQCs aiming to improve the imbalance, harmonics and the power factor at multiple nodes of a grid-tied AC microgrid. The CPT calculates the current components that need to be compensated at the point of common coupling (PCC) and local nodes; then, compensations are implemented by using each grid-following converter’s remaining volt-ampere capacity, converting them in PQCs and improving the system’s efficiency. The proposal yields the non-active power balancing among PQCs compounding a cluster. Constraints of cumulative non-active contribution and maximum disposable power are included in each controller. Also, grid-support components are calculated locally based on shared information from the PCC. Extensive simulations show a seamless compensation (even with time delays) of unbalanced and harmonics current (below 20% each) at selected buses, with control convergences of 0.5–1.5 [s] within clusters and 1.0–3.0 [s] for multi-cluster cooperation. Full article

Model predictive control (MPC) is an efficient and multi-functional control scheme for synchronous permanent magnet generators (PMSGs). However, the effective management of traditional MPC depends on precise system models. Multiple uncertainties of permanent magnet flux, motor inductance, filter inductance and parameter measurement noise will limit MPC’s performance. The conventional linear extended state observer (ESO) can perform robust predictive control of the ultralocal model of the PMSG system to cope with parameter mismatches. However, the ESO is limited in balancing disturbance rejection with measurement noise attenuation. Since the amplification of high-frequency noise pollution can lead to both poor control performance and system instability, this challenge is of significant importance. To solve the problem, a new hybrid parallel cascaded ESO (PCESO) model-free predictive control framework is proposed using the three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) power electronic converter, on both the machine side and grid side. Analytical discussions of the time and frequency domain characteristics of the PCESO demonstrate its superior characteristics over the ESO. The proposed method can effectively balance parameter mismatch, disturbance rejection and high-frequency noise suppression. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method, under uncertainties of parameter mismatches, measurement noise and permanent magnet flux, is verified through real-time hardware-in-the-loop tests on a back-to-back grid-tied PMSG interfaced with an NPC power converter. Full article

Using a hybrid renewable energy source with an energy storage system, this paper proposed a novel multi-stage non-isolated three-port converter with a 5H inverter to feed a residential load varying from 50 Watts to 3500 Watts. The proposed three-port converter operates in grid-tied and standalone power modes. A novel demand-side management algorithm, which covers eight operation modes, is described. Additionally, a complete control system is discussed. The proposed control system controls the PV maximum power point and battery charging/discharging, and regulates the 400 V DC bus voltage, the load voltage in standalone mode, and the grid-tied injected current. The proposed converter and the control system are validated through simulation for all power modes. The simulation results reveal that the proposed system is viable for Building-Integrated PV Systems. Full article

This article presents the control of a three-phase three-wire (3P-3W) dual-stage grid-tied PV-battery storage system using a multi-objective grass-hopper optimization (MOGHO) algorithm. The voltage source converter (VSC) control of the presented system is implemented with adaptive kernel width sixth-order maximum correntropy criteria (AKWSOMCC) and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control is accomplished using the variable step-size incremental conductance (VSS-InC) technique. The proposed VSC control offers lower mean square error and better accuracy, convergence rate and speed as compared to peer adaptive algorithms, i.e., least mean square (LMS), least mean fourth (LMF), maximum correntropy criteria (MCC), etc. The adaptive Gaussian kernel width is a function of the error signal, which changes to accommodate and filter Gaussian and non-Gaussian noise signals in each iteration. The VSS-InC based MPPT is provided with a MOGHO based modulation factor for better and faster tracking of the maximum power point during changing solar irradiation. Similarly, an optimized gain conventional PI controller regulates the DC bus to improve the power quality, and DC link stability during dynamic conditions. The optimized DC-link generates an accurate loss component of current, which further improves the VSC capability of fundamental load current component extraction. The VSC is designed to perform multi-functional operations, i.e., harmonics elimination, reactive power compensation, load balancing and power balancing at point of common coupling during diverse dynamic conditions. The MOSHO based VSS-InC, and DC bus performance is compared to particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed system operates satisfactorily as per IEEE519 standards in the MATLAB simulation environment. Full article

An energy storage system using secondary batteries combined with advanced power control schemes is considered the key technology for the sustainable development of renewable energy-based power generation and smart micro-grids. The performance of energy storage systems in practical application mainly depends on their power conditioning systems. This paper proposes a silicon carbide-based multifunctional power conditioning system for the vanadium redox flow battery. The proposed system is a two-stage circuit topology, including a three-phase grid-tie inverter that can perform four-quadrant control of active and reactive power and a bi-directional multi-channel direct current converter that is responsible for the fast charging and discharging control of the battery. To achieve the design objectives, i.e., high reliability, high efficiency, and high operational flexibility, silicon carbide-based switching devices, and advanced digital control schemes are used in the construction of a power conditioning system for the vanadium redox flow battery. This paper first describes the proposed system topologies and controller configurations and the design methods of controllers for each converter in detail, and then results from both simulation analyses and experimental tests on a 5 kVA hardware prototype are presented to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system and the designed controllers. Full article

The DC-link voltage control (DVC) timescale (i.e., the frequency dynamics covering converter outer controls) instabilities in wind generation have gained increased attention recently. This paper presents DVC timescale modeling and stability analysis for multi doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) connected to weak AC grids. A reduced-order, small-signal model of a grid-tied multi-DFIG system, designed for DVC dynamics analysis, is firstly proposed. The model allows for the dynamic interactions among the DC-link voltage control, active power control (APC), terminal voltage control (TVC) and phase-locked loop (PLL). Eigenvalue and participation factor analyses are conducted to explore the potential instabilities and correlated critical factors for such a multi-machine system. The sensitivity studies find that instability can occur at high levels of power generations or low short-circuit ratio (SCR) conditions. In addition, the dominant mode is identified to be highly related to the PLL, and its modal damping is decreased when the bandwidths of PLLs in different generators are close. Detailed model-based time domain simulations verified the analysis above. Full article